‘Shifting Gears’ Showrunner Wants Jennifer Coolidge To Join Tim Allen’s ABC Sitcom

Tim Allen‘s ABC comedy Shifting Gears has already welcomed a few recognizable faces into the garage — but showrunner Michelle Nader has her eye on one White Lotus icon.

“A couple of people are telling us [that they want to join the show]. I can’t say who and we’re thinking of how to get the right role. But we also have our people that we want to see,” Nader told Us Weekly during the ABC Summer Soirée on September 5. “I want to get Jennifer Coolidge in the show. I want to get some of those people to come around. We have a lot up our sleeve.”

And that’s not all. Nader teased that fans can expect some surprises baked into the sitcom’s DNA — especially when it comes to Easter eggs.

“We were very intentional about those things because what we want to do in a modern sitcom is bring the elements of modern television — like serialization and streaming,” she explained. “So we felt like we really wanted to slow play these relationships in a romantic comedy way. So yes, you’re going to see some real results from those Easter eggs.”

Shifting Gears, which premiered in January, follows Matt (Allen), who runs a car restoration shop while rebuilding a rocky relationship with his daughter Riley (Kat Dennings). Along the way, familiar guest stars — including Jenna Elfman, Brenda Song, and Nancy Travis — have pulled into the shop.

Elfman, who plays Allen’s love interest, praised both her co-star and the series itself. “I’ve worked with Tim before on a film, so I know he’s lovely. He’s so good at what he does,” she said in February. “It’s like you don’t even see it happening, and then all of a sudden, it’s just brilliant.”

She added: “I loved [the] take on how to approach the family at the center of [Shifting Gears] and the generational divides culturally, politically and emotionally. It’s a sitcom but it’s grounded with talent who knows how to act and who knows how to deliver comedy.”

Travis, who previously played Allen’s wife on Last Man Standing, shared that stepping onto the new set was like a reunion. “Tim is nothing if not loyal. So it was great to walk on that set and see most of the crew was from Last Man Standing,” she told Us Weekly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if everybody from Last Man Standing shows up on Shifting Gears in one way or another. If Tim has his way, he’ll make sure that everybody from [costar Kat Dennings’] 2 Broke Girls comes on too.”

Shifting Gears returns Wednesday, October 1, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.